Four lessons in leadership from Cara Keating, PepsiCo Canada CEO: Star Women in Grocery 2025
The best leaders are those who lead authentically. For women in leadership, owning your leadership style means betting on experiences to guide you to success.
This was one of several insights highlighted during Cara Keating’s keynote presentation in front of a sold-out crowd during Canadian Grocer’s Star Women in Grocery Awards ceremony in Toronto on Sept. 25.
Keating, CEO at PepsiCo Canada, spoke on the problems with seeking perfection, empowered leadership, trusting your instinct, and how breaking the mould can make a difference.
Keating shared a story of how staying busy caught up to her in the early days of her career, as she wore "busy" as a badge of honour. Through a shift in perspective, she traded busyness for productivity.
“I embraced the idea of good enough, focusing on what matters most and what truly drives results, letting go of those things that are less important,” said Keating. “When I started focusing on what truly mattered, I was able to provide more clarity to my team so they could deliver better results. It was a turning point in my career.”
Being an authentic leader means knowing when to flex your style and when to lean on your team's strengths. Keating calls this empowered leadership—a philosophy that has guided her through her career.
“As I was building my career and taking on leadership roles, I've always believed in creating space for others to grow, to speak up and to lead in their own right. I believe leaders are their best when they can be themselves, and I strive to model authentic leadership,” said Keating.
Strong leaders are those who are willing to bet on themselves and trust their experiences to grow into whatever comes next.
For Keating, finding herself as the first woman in many roles came with a sense of being different from leaders before her. The feeling of being different wasn’t a passive moment. Through constructive feedback from her superiors and teams, Keating was able to find her authentic leadership style by honing in on what made her different.
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be, and embracing who we are,” said Keating. “Seeing the diversity of leaders in this room today is inspiring. It's evidence of how far our industry has come.”
